Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	$ 362,706	$ 320,523	$ 706,169	$ 617,257
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	153,599	134,169	304,742	260,045
Selling, general and administrative expenses	76,158	79,051	154,479	159,521
Amortization of program license rights	12,076	12,047	24,142	23,805
Corporate and other expenses	18,101	12,366	28,453	25,017
Depreciation and amortization	40,337	42,618	80,458	82,901
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	87	(196)	(681)	(424)
Merger-related expenses	1,561	3,616	67,443	8,893
Restructuring expenses	996	0	4,978	0
Operating income (loss)	59,791	36,852	42,155	57,499
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(28,529)	(29,288)	(57,085)	(60,311)
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	(1,827)	0	(2,440)
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Other, net	122	2,622	196	5,912
Total other income (expense)	(28,407)	(28,493)	(56,889)	(56,839)
Income (loss) before income taxes	31,384	8,359	(14,734)	660
Income tax benefit (expense)	(12,156)	(3,616)	8,249	(459)
Net income (loss)	19,228	4,743	(6,485)	201
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	730	3,108	1,207	5,999
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Media General [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of program license rights	0	0	0	0
Corporate and other expenses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	0	0	0	0
Merger-related expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	0	1	0	0
Debt modification and extinguishment costs		0		0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	18,498	1,634	(7,692)	(5,798)
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Income (loss) before income taxes	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	18,498	1,635	(7,692)	(5,798)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | LIN Television Corporation [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	107,119	94,258	206,210	182,476
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	42,178	40,294	84,338	77,893
Selling, general and administrative expenses	23,106	22,193	45,799	45,717
Amortization of program license rights	4,663	4,363	9,143	8,541
Corporate and other expenses	0	2,661	0	5,862
Depreciation and amortization	14,589	15,522	28,988	29,658
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	18	165	11	129
Merger-related expenses	0	950	0	2,324
Restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	22,565	8,110	37,931	12,352
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(10,667)	(9,555)	(21,361)	(20,205)
Debt modification and extinguishment costs		0		0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	(10,848)	(763)	(20,955)	(6,298)
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	22,209	2,511	6,251	2,077
Other, net	(12)	4	(12)	86
Total other income (expense)	682	(7,803)	(36,077)	(24,340)
Income (loss) before income taxes	23,247	307	1,854	(11,988)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(4,749)	1,325	(9,546)	6,188
Net income (loss)	18,498	1,632	(7,692)	(5,800)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	18,498	1,632	(7,692)	(5,800)
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	18,498	1,632	(7,692)	(5,800)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	258,965	216,770	494,122	416,500
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	114,282	88,410	214,916	172,169
Selling, general and administrative expenses	52,214	53,009	105,755	106,227
Amortization of program license rights	7,409	7,250	14,983	14,351
Corporate and other expenses	18,094	9,703	28,444	19,161
Depreciation and amortization	24,891	24,562	48,839	49,234
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	43	(361)	(790)	(553)
Merger-related expenses	1,561	2,666	67,443	6,569
Restructuring expenses	996	0	4,978	0
Operating income (loss)	39,475	31,531	9,554	49,342
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(17,608)	(19,325)	(35,194)	(39,412)
Debt modification and extinguishment costs		(1,827)		(2,440)
Intercompany income and (expenses)	10,848	949	21,299	6,716
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Other, net	134	118	208	826
Total other income (expense)	(6,626)	(20,085)	(13,687)	(34,310)
Income (loss) before income taxes	32,849	11,446	(4,133)	15,032
Income tax benefit (expense)	(7,407)	(5,599)	17,177	(7,873)
Net income (loss)	25,442	5,847	13,044	7,159
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	(178)
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	25,442	5,847	13,044	7,337
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	25,442	5,847	13,044	7,337
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	7,258	16,941	25,113	30,683
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	3,666	9,856	17,113	17,398
Selling, general and administrative expenses	988	4,152	3,240	8,289
Amortization of program license rights	505	434	1,018	913
Corporate and other expenses	7	2	9	(6)
Depreciation and amortization	857	2,534	2,631	4,009
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	26	0	98	0
Merger-related expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	1,209	(37)	1,004	80
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(254)	(409)	(530)	(694)
Debt modification and extinguishment costs		0		0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0	(186)	(344)	(418)
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Other, net	0	2,500	0	5,000
Total other income (expense)	(254)	1,905	(874)	3,888
Income (loss) before income taxes	955	1,868	130	3,968
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	658	618	1,226
Net income (loss)	955	2,526	748	5,194
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	730	3,108	1,207	6,177
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	225	(582)	(459)	(983)
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	225	(582)	(459)	(983)
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	(10,636)	(7,446)	(19,276)	(12,402)
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	(6,527)	(4,391)	(11,625)	(7,415)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(150)	(303)	(315)	(712)
Amortization of program license rights	(501)	0	(1,002)	0
Corporate and other expenses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	0	0	0	0
Merger-related expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	(3,458)	(2,752)	(6,334)	(4,275)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Debt modification and extinguishment costs		0		0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(40,707)	(4,145)	1,441	3,721
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	(40,707)	(4,145)	1,441	3,721
Income (loss) before income taxes	(44,165)	(6,897)	(4,893)	(554)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(44,165)	(6,897)	(4,893)	(554)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(44,165)	(6,897)	(4,893)	(554)
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	$ (44,165)	$ (6,897)	$ (4,893)	$ (554)